Traveler's Cheat Sheet?

[krikketgirl.livejournal.com]

I am learning Russian, and I am a raw beginner. I am also traveling abroad for my first time in June, and as happenstance would have it, I am traveling to Ukraine. Firstly, I am aware that Ukrainian and Russian are separate languages, and also that there is a certain sensitivity to the use of Russian in certain areas of Ukraine. Be that as it may, the only language I am even acquainted with in this area is Russian.

I have no pretenses of really being able to carry on a conversation in Russian while I am in Ukraine. I would, however, like to be able to have a few phrases at my disposal. As right now I can only count to ten, transcribe words from print into passable script, sound words out, and say helpful things like, "Here is the house," my thought is to write out a little "cheat sheet" for myself with a few key phrases to learn by heart.

I am hoping that you might be able to help me come up with a list of essential phrases. I will have a phrasebook with me for more obscure things, so really what I want is the social niceties.

Thank you for any help you can offer.